Coco’s Diary: A Christmas Gift to Remember

The pains of growing up recalled by Coco’s Diary are likely to strike a chord with members of every generation. Staged by the History Theatre, this production revives one of the group’s most singular works, an adaptation drawn from the pages of a 13-year-old girl’s diary. The strikingly candid diary in question was penned by young Clotilde “Coco” Irvine, who grew up in a Tudor home located at 1006 Summit Ave. in St. Paul. (The stately home now serves as the Minnesota Governor’s residence.) When Coco received her titular diary as a Christmas gift in 1926, however, she had no inkling of any future significance, either for the home or herself. She was merely a young person using her diary to make a record of her teenage angst. Whether obsessing over the attentions of a neighborhood boy or railing against the restrictions imposed by overbearing parents, Coco’s writing is remarkably revealing, reflecting an idiosyncratic personality that collaborators Bob Beverage and Ron Peluso (who also serves as director) bring to life onstage.